Police association says PTSD a major issue for officers

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, seen here in this file photo, has said he felt the RCMP was managing the risk associated with PTSD fairly well.Photo by
Chris Wattie, Reuters

OTTAWA — The head of the Canadian Police Association says post-traumatic stress disorder is a major issue for police, and the RCMP shouldn't believe its current system for treating members afflicted by PTSD is good enough.

Tom Stamatakis said Monday he was disappointed that the RCMP and its commissioner believed the services to members suffering from PTSD were good enough.

Stamatakis said any approach that believes the "status quo is OK is the wrong approach."

The RCMP has reportedly told its members they will now be under provincial health programs, rather than federal oversight through the force. The federal government reportedly will save $25 million by moving the Mounties under the Canada Health Act, leaving their medical coverage to fall under provincial health systems.

Stamatakis said provincial health programs aren't as good as they could be when helping officers suffering from PTSD.

A recent study from Carleton University found that officers in Canada are facing greater pressures at work that may be taking a greater physical and mental toll on police than previously believed.

The RCMP said that it still offers a number of services to its officers, including counselling "when the member is diagnosed with an operational stress injury," which includes PTSD, as well as hypnotherapy when it is medically approved.

When RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson was asked about PTSD in the force last week, he told reporters he didn't think the Mounties had a systemic issue with PTSD. He also said that he felt the RCMP was managing the risk associated with PTSD fairly well.

"And I think we can always do better but I'm pretty happy with how our member assistance program and our health programs address that," Paulson said.

Stamatakis also said Monday that the CPA, which represents frontline officers across the country, is hoping the government would continue to fund a program that has helped provinces hire new officers.

The Conservatives created the $400-million recruitment fund in 2008. It is set to run out next year, but the CPA is hoping the government finds a way to keep its police funding levels up even though spending is being cut.

"There is a role the federal government can play when it comes to funding policing," Stamatakis said.

Funding to police services and mental-health issues are two topics that will be part of the association's annual lobbying day on Parliament Hill. Officers are to have more than 150 meetings with MPs on Tuesday.

On Monday, NDP leader Tom Mulcair addressed the association's convention in Ottawa, telling frontline officers that the Mounties deserve a union and an NDP government would ensure that it happens.

Mulcair reiterated his position that the long-gun registry shouldn't have been scrapped.

While it had problems, he said, an NDP government — should voters ever hand the party a government in an election — would fix those problems, although he didn't specify the problems in need of fixing, nor how the party intends to fix them.

Stamatakis didn't say how the association felt about the end of the registry, but would be paying attention to any changes in statistics regarding gun-related injuries to police.

The new Evergreen Line SkyTrain extension underwent a trial by snow on its first full day of commuter...

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.